Carpe Diem

See that big guy in the middle? Recognize him? Well he's me. Yeah, that too is your Honors English teacher. Weird, ain't it? That's how I looked when I was in college. Those guys on either side of me aren't my brothers, but they might as well have been. I don't remember why we thought it would be appropriate to wear suits for this portrait, given that our wardrobes at the time were made up almost exclusively of tie-dyes and concert t-shirts, but at least we tried, right? Yes, I was terribly uncomfortable in the suit then (as I am whenever I have to wear one now), and yes, I have lost both some weight and some hair since that time.

We had the picture taken around the time the dapper fellow on the left went off to college at Oberlin (in Ohio) and the gent on the right took off for BYU Hawaii. We knew it was a time of parting, and I suppose we wanted to freeze the moment a little longer because we knew about the doors of opportunity and how they lead you down divergent paths. We have remained friends to this day, but it's not like it used to be. We e-mail each other periodically, and sometimes we get together, but it requires lots of planning and (for one of us) a plane ride, so those carefree days of youth are difficult to recapture. Why am I telling you this? I guess I've been thinking about the beginning of the end...of the school year. The fourth term starts next Monday, and for most of you it will be gone before you know it. You'll be in high school officially as well as technically, and because our junior high feeds two high schools, many of you will be parting ways as well. I get a little tired of the competition: "Layton Losers!" "Davis Dorks!" The schools themselves are nothing but what the students make of them. If you have learned nothing this year, learn this: Your education (and your life) will be what you make of it, and it doesn't matter very much where you are as long as you are making the most of it.

One of my favorite movies is called Dead Poets Society. It's about (what else?) an English teacher who makes a difference in the lives of some of his students. On the first day of class, he takes his students out into the high school hallway and shows them the pictures and the trophies that the school has collected over many years. He allows them a few moments to reflect on all the wonderful accomplishments and the glorious history of the school. Then he states quite plainly that all those guys in those old photos are dead now. They made the most of their time, had a picture taken, seized the moment, lived out their lives, and died. Such is life. His point, of course, is to convince his students that what they are doing now matters. They should be living life for all it's worth in the moment as well as preparing for their futures. Does this sound familiar? I hope so because more than one of my blogs has hit on this theme, and I happen to agree with the philosophy.

The teacher (played by Robin Williams) then takes the students back into the classroom and has them tear pages from a textbook, an activity that the students rather enjoy (as you can imagine) but that the inflexible headmaster of the school is appalled by. So begins one of the main conflicts: the inventive teacher vs. the rigid administration. Sound familiar again? I hope I don't have to explain why. I won't ruin it for those of you who have not seen it, and I recommend it for all of you in light of many of the things we have talked about on the discussion board and in these blogs. See if you can find yourself somewhere in the movie! Which side of the line are you on?

So as we head into the final term, looking forward to a long summer break but also a little sad about the friends we'll miss, let's commit to be on the same team for a couple more months, okay? And let's also commit to make the most it!